By Reagan Bresnahan
The first confirmed case of a New World screwworm in a U.S. horse since the 1960s was detected Sept. 9 in South Texas, bringing a once-eradicated parasite closer to Florida's horse industry and putting animal owners on heightened alert.
The case, confirmed in a working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, is the first equine case identified in the United States during the current outbreak. The live flesh-eating parasite was found on the horse's hind limb.
In Texas, experts estimate a widespread outbreak could cost the economy up to $1.8 billion.
The development carries particular weight for Florida. The state is home to a major equine industry, with the Ocala-Marion County area officially known as the "Horse Capital of the World." More than 70,000 acres in Florida are used for horse-related purposes, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The screwworm has not been detected in Florida, but University of Florida veterinarians say the state's climate and large horse and livestock population make preparation critical.
"It would make sense that it would get to Florida at some point," said Sally DeNotta, a UF veterinarian specializing in large animal internal medicine and infectious disease.
DeNotta said the current forecast suggests the pest could move through much of the Southern United States because Florida's climate can support its life cycle year-round. She said the spread will also depend on the availability of sterile flies, which are a key part of the effort to control the pest.
For Florida animal owners, the question is increasingly not whether they should prepare, but when the pest could arrive.
New World screwworm is the larval stage of a shiny green blow fly. Female flies lay their eggs in or near wounds, and the larvae feed on living tissue.
That distinguishes screwworm from the maggots commonly associated with decaying animals.
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